After looking it up, it seems both USEF and the FEI handed him suspensions. And, according to one of the articles I read, the FEI also investigated the ground jury.
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That horse doesn’t keep going just because he has a good heart and is a trier… he knows there is no option other than to keep going, regardless of the fact that he is too exhausted to keep the rails up.
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The most sickening image for me is the slo mo of Carollo literally crashing almost straight into the big square standard with his knees hitting it first. And while AK posted that a vet checked him and he is fine, this was posted on FB:
Marjan: he won the big class day before ,after 3 rounds 1.60, the Derby was next day and Carollo entered very tired but tried to stay clear but at the end he could not do it any more but rider kept on jumping and he struggled till the end hurting his knee etc 😢
I wish there was a rule that a horse cannot continue after so many faults at this level. 28 faults and an obviously struggling horse, is absolutely unacceptable. Maybe after so many rails?
I hope his sponsors take notice and walk away from him. He is an embarrassment and a disgrace to the sport, and not only because of this incident.
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All his flailing, flapping, and see-sawing … he rides like he’s drunk. These videos of him are shameless. Incredibly sad for his horses.
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I can’t even read this thread, it makes me sick the way AK treated his poor horse. The people on HS Diva constantly criticize him for his treatment of his animals, now I know it is true. I hope the horse finds a better home.
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The owner of Eye Candy Jumpers also sponsors dressage riders as well. Found reference to this on her FB https://www.facebook.com/erica.hatfield.37
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Slamdunk - my “why on earth didn’t he pull up” was more rhetorical than a true question. I’m with you, in all my years watching I’ve never witnessed anything so appalling, though I’ve see a few come close but even those did retire.
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I defended AK once in the past, based purely on having met him at Hickstead in a work capacity. He was very straightforward and friendly, let me meet his speed derby horse and generally took time out of his day to help me. Then I watched his horse Navalo break down in front of my eyes at Hickstead, and his devastation was real.
However, a bit of fact checking. Someone mentioned that Navalo jumped the day before he died, with the implication that that was wrong. However, in order to enter the Derby, riders must finish in the top 35 of the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial - the day before.
Navalo was also entered in the 1.50m Bunn Leisure Derby Tankard on 6/21/18 (same day as The Bunn Leisure Derby Trial). 13 other horses jumped both the Trial and the Tankard on the same day.
How many of those did both Bunn classes and the Derby the next day?
Graham Gillespe’s Andretti - came 6th
Joe Whitaker / Virginia - came 7th
Elizabeth Power’s Doonaveeragh O One - came 14th
Guy Williams’ Un Soir D’Amour
Darryl Walker / Kiss n Fly
So, if doing three rounds (min) at that height over 2 days is not OK, Andrew certainly wasn’t alone in that - he had 5 other experienced riders doing the same around him.
The benefit of the doubt to me meant that the photo of the horse wearing a lot of headgear (!) could have been a horse he doesn’t own or have much say in tack choices on. I was unable to determine what the real story was, and it pained me to see him vilified when there could have been, and still could be, an explanation. I have seen him ride in snaffles, and there are plenty of photos of him doing just that online. So in that case would I ride in all that gear? No. Do I know the whole story on his horse? No. So my reaction is guarded.
However, watching the short clips of his round at Spruce was shocking. He did NOT ride like that at Hickstead, nor have I seen videos of him riding like that before - it sounds like some people HAVE seen bad riding from him before. I was surprised to hear that, but again - I haven’t seen him ride in person but a few times. The very spicy horse in the video posted upthread looked like it was getting a schooling round - he let it trot a bit and yes it was a handful, but this isn’t the hunters. Should he have let it run away with him? Tricky situation, and the video was posted with no context - what show? When?
It is worth noting that he wasn’t the only person to collect a lot of penalties in the Spruce Meadows Derby - 7 horse/rider combos had penalties in the 20s: http://live.sprucemeadows.com/order_go.jsp?comp_id=27
And how many combinations were in both the Coronation and the Derby? Two. But the other combination didn’t do 3 rounds in the Coronation…
BUT.
Should he have entered a class the day after three big rounds and a big win? I think that was a real mistake.
Should he have pulled up when things started to go wrong? YES. I’m shocked that he didn’t. No excuses. :no:
I think it’s time for some introspection for him…
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Looks like FEI is investigating and involving AK’s home federation.
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/fei-examining-kocher-conduct/
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I don’t know what videos you’ve been watching, @Xanthoria. AK looks like a howler monkey on crack in every ride of his I’ve seen.
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Same. I have to walk away when he comes in the ring, especially at indoors. It’s awful
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Good news. Given that the horse was obviously exhausted, they really can’t afford to ignore this.
I really hope that the show officials, who apparently did nothing, are taken to task.
Someone has to be an advocate for the horse when the rider is not. That is in the job description.
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What will it take to get him out of this sport? He’s lucky he didn’t add ANOTHER dead horse to list of accomplishments. Let’s see, drugging, bad riding, bad judgment, and a few things I can’t mention. I’m still angry he’s ever been chosen to represent the U.S. He certainly doesn’t represent me.
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The thing is that Navalo was not sound at all and they were having to do everything in their power just to get him to the ring. When he broke down it was the very leg that He had been lame on. That horse absolutely should not of ever been in that derby. It wasn’t good enough that he brought Andy to the World Cup? Which in itself was questionable at best. That horse died because Andy pushed it too hard and it actually broke. Those tears he cried were for himself not Navalo. It was very good PR though for poor Andy, don’t think he doesn’t think about that.
On another note Nobody seems to be talking about The eight-year-old that also did the derby that day owned by Eye Candy. That horse was the eight-year-old young horse Champion at Spruce Meadows and had jumped a lot. I thought that Horse looked very tired in the derby as well. I have known Andy most of his life and it’s very disappointing what he is, I somehow thought he would grow up. He will always put himself first not the horse, it’s always been like that, it’s just now on an international stage for people to see. It is no surprise.
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I’m depressed about our sport. That was a sickening, tear-inducing debacle. Take your pick on which video I’m referencing.
AK needs to be kicked out for a lack of horsemanship / animal abuse and his groom shouldn’t be let off scott-free either. Poking fun at an animal in her care who had given so much of himself and obviously needed a well-earned rest… Wow. Her compassion and concern cup runneth over.
Some people have mentioned SafeSport. If you know something, report it. People like this give our sport a bad reputation.
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According to multiple posts on Facebook, it was not the groom who was saying that. It was somebody else connected to AK. The horse’s groom there was male.
It is Erica AKA Eye Candy
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Man, their page is… weird. The vibe is like a preteen girl with her fantasy stable, and the sort of “laughy” captions that go along with some cringey pics is just weird.
Either way, seeing some of these videos, I just can’t imagine why these horses keep jumping. I get a little crooked or tense in my elbows and horses run out or stop with me (or at least they did, when I was actually riding, LOL) when faced with a 2’ log. And I apologize to them. This… I just can’t figure it out.
After seeing the insane bit contraption on the horse in the NF picture, and how TIGHT everything was, then seeing video of how he rides… that horses don’t rodeo bronc him on the regular is just amazing to me. Granted I haven’t watched him ride a lot and should probably give more benefit of the doubt, but…
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